An old larch - 860 years old!

The Darbellec Forest at Chandolin is home to a centuries-old larch, one of the oldest in Europe.

At the entrance to the Darbellec Forest, at an altitude of 2020 m stands the “Grand Old Larch of the Armèles”. Dating techniques have enabled its age to be estimated to within +/- 20 years. The verdict is that the Grand Old Larch of Chandolin is around 860 years old and is one of the oldest larches in Europe. Appearance and characteristics of this exceptional conifer:

The reasons for its longevity have still not been explained. Why has it always been spared by the regular felling operations? Did it have the role of a boundary marker? Or perhaps it was simply protected, as its name indicates, by the “Armèles”, the village shepherds? The mystery remains unanswered.

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Description

Practical information

Around 10 minutes’ walk from the tourist office

The Grand Old Larch is item no. 7B of the Chandolin botanical walks guide